The Prisoner

I am not a number. I am a free man

Patrick McGoohan not only starred as Number Six, the leading
role in The Prisoner, he was also the creator and driving force
behind the 17 episode series. The series was financed by ITC
Entertainment with David Tomblin as the Producer and George
Markstein as script editor.

Many well known actors had guest roles in the series: Leo
McKern, Peter Bowles, Eric Portman, Patrick Cargill, Mary Morris,
Paul Eddington and Donald Sinden to name but a few.

It was
probably one of the most influential pieces of televison of the
1960s not only in the UK and USA but also in France, Australia and
many other countries. Even The Beatles were fans. Its cult status
was confirmed with the establishment in the 1970s of the official
Prisoner Appreciation Society, Six of One.

Episode Titles (In telecast order)

Arrival

The Chimes of Big Ben

A.B. and C.

Free For All

The Schizoid Man

The General

Many Happy Returns

Dance of the Dead

Checkmate

Hammer into Anvil

It's Your Funeral

A Change of Mind

Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling

Living in Harmony

The Girl Who Was Death

Once Upon a Time

Fall Out

In the opening sequence of the Prisoner we see
Patrick McGoohan as he angrily resigns his top secret government
position and then drives through London under a stormy sky. He gets
home, packs a bag, some holiday brochures fall out.

A white gas hisses through the keyhole and he falls unconscious.
He awakes in an identical room but through the window sees a
strange village surrounded by sea and mountains. Everything looks
cheerful and bright, with gaily dressed people and quaint turreted
buildings. But the village has a sinister purpose, its population
are prisoners, identified only by a number, from whom information
is required.

There is no escape. The prisoners have had all desire to escape
taken away, either by their purposeless existence, brainwashing or
surgery. Number 6 is the only one with the will to escape, the one
who refuses to be broken: "I am not a number; I am a free man".

The series asks more questions than it answers. Why is Number 6
being held? Why did he resign? Who is Number 6? Who are his
jailers? Who is Number 1? The village is run by Number 2 whose
identity changes from episode to episode.

The series is rich in imagery and visual impact. The surreal
architecture of the village with its Mediterranean atmosphere
coupled with the high-tech interiors, tannoys, surveillance cameras
and piped music create a bizarre combination. There is great
attention to detail throughout with no item too large or small to
receive the Prisoner stamp from steet signs to cans of food to
village credit cards, Mini Moke taxis and staff uniforms. Large and
menacing balloons (occasionally referred to as 'Rover') patrole the
perimiter. A dwarf, mute butler opens the door to No 2's Green
Dome.

Enigmatic to the end, the last episode caused ITV's telephone
lines to be blocked by the many millions of viewers who called in
desperate for an explanation. Even though the series is close to 30
years old, there are new viewers who may not have seen it before
and we do not wish to spoil it by revealing the ending here. Many
diverse and creative conclusions have been drawn from the series
such as was Number 6 a victim of a nervous breakdown, or is he,
like us, a prisoner of ourselves? Was this an allegorical conundrum
or a statement about personal freedom, democracy and social
engineering?

PRISONER APPRECIATION SOCIETY - SIX OF ONE

Fancy becoming a member of the Prisoner Society Six of One?
Click on the Six of One link
to take you to their new look website, which has details about
becoming a member and interesting information about the series.